ULTIMATE GRAY + ILLUMINATING, COLOR OF THE YEAR 2021

Following Classic Blue, it is not one but two colors that have come out on top: Ultimate Gray and Illuminating. A combination of shades meant to be reassuring and optimistic after a challenging year in 2020. Morel’s designers use the colors of the year to create models at the heart of the trend.

Color of the year: Ultimate Gray + Illuminating

Every year, Pantone experts travel the world in search of the most powerful color trends. The fields of inspiration are broad, ranging from film to fashion, architecture, and food to the digital environment. This year, contrasting colors were selected: Ultimate Gray + Illuminating.


If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that we need a solid foundation on which to rebuild and move forward. Ultimate Gray evokes a sense of stability and resilience. It is timeless and represents reliable and unshakeable elements. It is eternal, like the pebbles on a beach that stands the test of time.

Illuminating is a bright sunny yellow that warms and brightens a universe to make it glow. Also associated with friendship and fraternity, this warm hue resonates as a matter of course. Today, more than ever, we measure the importance of our relationships and connection with others.

A message of hope :

“The Union of an enduring Ultimate Gray with the vibrant yellow Illuminating expresses a message of positivity supported by fortitude. Practical and rock-solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, this is a color combination that gives us resilience and hope. We need to feel encouraged and uplifted; this is essential to the human spirit.”
-Leatrice EISEMAN, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute.

Ultimate Gray and Illuminating stimulate our minds offering the perspective of innovation. This alliance of colors propels us towards new ways of thinking, creating new concepts— perfect for Morel, who has been pushing the envelope and perfecting its know-how for 140 years.

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